(Click the images in the slideshow above for the recipes. The collection of recipes is on Foodie.com)

We are just over a week away from the Big Day…my birthday! Oh you thought I was talking about Thanksgiving? Yep I guess that is just over a week away too. And requires a bit more planning than my birthday does. So today’s post is full of delicious recipes to inspire you for your Thanksgiving meal!

Everyone knows the best part of Thanksgiving dinner is the side dishes! What is your favorite side dish?

I have a collection of 17 of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes to share with you today. Lots of stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and green beans. Who needs turkey when you have the side dishes? The collection is on foodie.com, or you can scroll through the slideshow above to see all the side dish goodness.

La Mar by Gastón Acurio is an incredible Peruvian fusion restaurant specializing in fresh seafood and grilled meats, located in a beautiful waterfront setting in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Miami.

On our most recent trip to Miami we had a great dinner at La Mar – the new flagship restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Miami. La Mar, which specializes in Peruvian Fusion, is part of the Gastón Acurio restaurant group that includes Astrid & Gastón in Lima, Peru; the 18th best restaurant in the world per the World’s Best list. From the quality of the food, to the excellent cocktail menu, to the first-class service, La Mar is far better than the typical ‘hotel restaurant’ and is a must-visit for Miami travelers and fans of Latin American cuisine. That is, unless you’re planning to strut your stuff on South Beach the next day…

The Mandarin Oriental is located on Brickell Key (a small manmade island right off downtown Miami) and La Mar has a beautiful setting right on the water. In the cooler months, we suggest sitting outside and enjoying a lovely view of the city skyline. However, in the summer, when Miami has the humidity of a rainforest, it’s probably best to sit inside.

Also noteworthy was the excellent service at La Mar. Our waiter, Nicholas, was very helpful guiding us through the menu and made some great recommendations.
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One of my favorite ways to spend a sunny summer day is spending time with friends outside. And what I like even more is when the get together is sponsored by Taste of Nature!

Taste of Nature sent me a supply of their delicious snack bars and tons of fun outdoor games so that I could host a Taste of Nature Summer Party. My friends and I got together on a beautiful summer day for our tasting party. We loved trying all the delicious flavors and had so much fun hanging out and playing frisbee and paddle ball.

There’s no way to assess a meal at Carbone without acknowledging that you’re paying for an experience. For an ambiance lifted straight out of the Mad Men era: white table cloths, old-school tile floors, and a Rat Pack heavy playlist. For waiters with a surly demeanors outfitted in snappy maroon tuxedos. And especially for a menu that’s almost audacious in its simplicity – straightforward dishes that are souped-up versions of Italian-American classics.

So taking this all into account, does it live up to the hype? It sure does. …

If you are looking for delicious southern food on the Upper West Side of NYC, then look no further than Jacob’s Pickles! This is comfort food at its finest!

This is Southern face it, if we too simple, than y’all don’t get the basics.

Sure, the above Lil’ Wayne quote may be referencing Southern rap music, but he just as easily could have been talking about Southern food. Biscuits, fried chicken, gravy, repeat. It’s not that hard. And yet, it’s not easy to find a spot near our apartment that excels at this kind of homey food. My favorite NYC chicken and biscuit joint, Pies -n- Thighs in Williamsburg, is incredible, but I don’t always have the time to travel to Brooklyn nor the patience to deal with hipsters. Luckily, Jacob’s Pickles, located in the Upper West Side, has brought delicious (and gut-busting) comfort food to Manhattan, alongside a great craft beer menu, pickled everything, and an inspired cocktail list. It’s definitely my favorite uptown brunch spot.